Residential and commercial heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems often employ air processing units, such as an air conditioning compressor unit or a heat pump, that are located outdoors. Such an air processing unit is typically configured to exchange heat with the surrounding ambient air and can include a number of coils through which a compressed fluid is directed.
Closely spaced cooling fins are often placed adjacent the coils to facilitate the heat transfer, and a fan is often used to direct an air flow through the fins and adjacent the coils. Since the assemblies are located outdoors, it is common for dirt and other debris to collect on and between the fins and coils over time, reducing the effectiveness of the air processing units.
While a number of prior art solutions have been proposed in an attempt to prevent or reduce the collection of such particulate debris, there nevertheless remains a continual need for improvements in the art that are easily and inexpensively manufactured and installed, as well as adaptable to a number of different sizes and shapes of air processing units. It is to these and other such improvements that the present invention is generally directed.